Chapter 4 Chapter Four

Sal couldn't sleep.Agra next to them dozed off peacefully on the fur they slept on, but his heart could not be calm for a long time.He lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the hides covering the hut above, and then he got up at last, put on some clothes and a cloak casually, and went out. Thrall took a deep breath of moist air and looked up at the night sky.At least the stars are calm, and the Twin Moons—the White Lady and the Blue Boy—haven't been as violently affected by Deathwing's return to Azeroth.At this moment, the elements here in the maelstrom are as stable as ever—Thar knew that this had nothing to do with his help, so he frowned.

He began to walk, aimless in mind.He just wanted to move in the silence and solitude, to see if that would calm his mind so he could sleep peacefully. He was shaken by what had happened during and after the spellcasting—with the other members of the Earthen Ring, and especially with Agra.He wondered if they were right.Was he really helping here?He'd given up everything just to get here - but even so, instead of helping, he caused chaos.Today, he stayed to "rest" while the others were busy all day.It made him feel humiliated and miserable.A low growl escaped his throat, and he began to quicken his pace.

He didn't want to believe what Agra said—that he had indeed used his leadership to escape, becoming a "slave" to his duties—was correct.If so, why hadn't he been able to lose himself in his work here? "What's wrong with me?" he complained loudly, a huge green fist slamming helplessly into the palm of the other. "I," came a melodious female voice, "don't know the answer to that question. Maybe I will, sometime." He turned around, shocked.A tall, slender figure stood a few steps away.The cloak that wraps her is recognizable as a woman, but her face is shadowed by the hood of the cloak.Unable to recognize her voice, Thrall frowned slightly, wondering who the stranger might be.

"Maybe I will, too," he said, tilting his head forward in greeting. "I'm Sal." "I know. I'm here for you." Her musical voice is mesmerizing. He blinks. "For me? Why? Who are you?" "It's... hard to explain," she said, looking up as if listening to something he couldn't hear. "Have a hard time explaining your name?" "Oh, that... no. It's the other one that's very difficult. You know... I have a small task for you, Thrall." He felt more happy than angry. "A mission? Do you want to do something for the Ring of the Earth?"

"No, it's for those villagers." "Which villagers?" "In Feralas. It's a pretty small camp called"—she smiled, as if at a personal joke—"Dreamer's Rest. They're suffering. The suffering of the earth, the old woods of the ages and the suffering of the druids who lived nearby. As in so many other parts of this scarred world, the elements are out of control and will destroy the village if something is not done. Only a shaman can talk to the elementals, appease them and bring about harmony." Sal couldn't be happier.He's starting to think it's a joke.And he doesn't like the joke.

"Then let the shaman in the village do it," he said, his voice slightly mean. "There are no shamans there. The village is too small, only druids," the stranger said simply, as if that would explain everything. Sal took a deep breath.It really didn't matter what she made him do.This kind of thing can be done by an apprentice shaman.Why she came to him for such a mission, he didn't know and didn't care. "Of course there are other people who can do that," he said, controlling his irritation and trying to be polite.In case this was some kind of weird test from the Earthen Ring, he didn't want to explode without warning, no matter how much this erratic woman pissed him off.

She shook her head vigorously and walked towards her. "No," she insisted, seeming quite solemn. "There's nobody else. There's nobody like you." This is ridiculous. "Who are you to assign me such a task?" Her face was still in shadow, but the smile hidden in her shining eyes was so sweet that it lingered in my heart for a long time.Is she a night elf? "Perhaps this will clarify." Before he could even reply, she was flying into the air—high in the air, higher than any real elf could reach.She stretched her arms, facing the air, and the cloak fell from her body.Her body began to change, faster than her eyes could keep up.Where he thought the night elves were, now a great dragon looked down on him.She flapped her wings calmly and landed on the ground.

"I am Ysera...the Awakened." Thrall took a step back, gasping for breath.She knew the name Ysera.She was once the Sleeper, guardian of the Emerald Dream.But now, she no longer dreams. It appears that the recent Cataclysm has brought about many changes. "Finish this, Thrall," Ysera said.Her voice is still lovely, but deeper and more sonorous in her dragon form. He almost replied, OK, no problem.But he couldn't forget his latest failure.True, what she was asking for seemed insignificant, but considering who she was, he figured it must be important.And he wasn't sure if the current self could still be entrusted with such an important task.

"The mighty Ysera... may I consider this matter?" She looks disappointed. "I had hoped you'd come to terms with it." "It's...just a small camp, isn't it?" It seemed that she was even more disappointed. "Yes. It's a small camp, a small mission." His cheeks burned with shame. "I still have to ask: Come back in the morning. I'll give you an answer." She sighed, a mournful growl, her breath as fresh as grass and morning mist.Then Ysera the Awakened nodded, leaped forward, and disappeared after a few flaps of her wings.

Thrall sat heavily on the ground. Just now, a dragon guardian asked him to do something, and he told her to come back tomorrow.What is he thinking?but-- He raised his hands and pressed hard on his temples.Things that should have been solved so easily were so difficult.His head wasn't quite clear, and it seemed his heart wasn't either.He felt... lost and indecisive. Since last night's argument with Agra, Thrall has been alone most of the time.But now, with only Double Moon and Stars sitting with him, he knows he needs to find her.Agra is a wise and far-sighted person, though lately he's found that he's often offended by what she has to say.And obviously, he couldn't make a decision without the support of others, otherwise he would have been able to immediately answer the great dragon with yes or no just now.

He stood up slowly and walked back to the cabin. "Did Shuangyue guide you?" Agra asked softly in the darkness.Thrall thought that his light footsteps would not wake her up, but obviously he shouldn't think so. "No," he said. "But... I, the shaman, have something to ask you." He expected a sarcastic reply, but heard the rustle of her fur as she sat up. All Agra said were these few words, "I'm listening." He walked over and sat down beside Agra on the sleeping fur.He told her softly about what happened just now, and she listened without interrupting him, but her eyes widened when she heard some important points. "It's almost... insulting," Thrall finally said. "This is a small task. Let me leave here, leave this place where I continue to help, just to save a small village in Feralas..." Thrall shook his head. "I don't know if it's a test, a trap, or something else. I don't understand at all." "Are you sure that's Ysera?" "It's a huge green dragon," Thrall snapped, before continuing the conversation in a lower voice, "and... I feel it's her." "It doesn't matter if it's a test or a trap. It doesn't matter if it seems like a trivial task. If Ysera asks you to do something, you should, Thrall." "But I'm here to help—" Aggra covered Thrall's with his own. "No need. Not now. You can't do the help you need to help. You saw it yesterday - we all saw it. You're not doing anyone any good. Not the Earthen Ring, not the Horde , to me, and certainly to you." Thrall's face was twisted, but there was no anger or contempt in Agra's voice.Indeed, her voice, like the palm of her hand on his, was softer than he could remember in a while. "Gol, my love," she continued, "do this. Go and obey the Aspects, whether it be a big or a small thing. Go and come back with what you have learned." She Smiled teasingly. "Didn't you learn a lot during the initiation ceremony?" Thrall thought back to his initiation in Galadar, which seemed so long ago.He thought back to the modest robes he was required to don, to the reminders he had been given to find a balance between a shaman's pride and humility. He was immodest at the thought of refusing an Aspect's request. Thrall took a deep breath, held it for a while, and then exhaled slowly. "I'll go," he said. Father Twilight was slightly disappointed that the red, blue, and green dragons had escaped so quickly.He had expected them to have a better fight.However, it makes his task easier and makes him more revered by those who follow his every command.That's fine, even if it lacks the sweetness of hard work and victory. Together with the girls, he watched the dragons fly away, some alone, some in groups.Now, except for those dragons who directly obeyed him, the rest of the dragons are almost dead. He sent his lieutenant to summon his comrades.They were now gathered at the headland, shivering in the cold.Their faces were so different, from orcs and trolls, humans and night elves - yes, the races of Azeroth - but at the same time, the rapt worship on their faces looked so similar. "Thus, our long journey, if not the end, at least has reached a place where we can rest, gather strength, and grow stronger. Wyrmrest Temple was once a symbol of the unconquerable strength of the dragons united as one. It is said that it was built by the Titans. We built it with our own hands, and it is sacrosanct in the eyes of the dragons. Today, we see them abandon it—including two of the Aspects. It is now our home for as long as we choose to. This An ancient seat of power, like all things, must fall!" Cheers erupted from hundreds of people.Father Twilight held up his hands, accepting the admiration from the crowd. "The brokenness of this place is just right," he continued as the cries of joy faded away. "Even in our moments of triumph, the end of things is always with us. Now... let us claim what has fallen before us, so that it may serve our purpose." One of the huge twilight dragons that had been hovering in the air obediently landed.She fell before him like an obedient pet, her lavender belly pressed against the cold stone so he could easily climb onto her back.He stepped forward, the chains that bound the girl tense in his hands.He turned around in surprise. The girl didn't move immediately, she looked at the dragon with disgust and pity mixed in her eyes. "Now, now, dear," he said, mocking her with kind words. "You can't hesitate. Still"—he smiled smugly from under the hood—"I bet you're not expecting to come home like this, eh?" Kirygosa, daughter of Malygos and sister of Alygos, turned from the twilight dragon to Father Twilight, her blue eyes narrowed contemptuously, maintaining her icy silence. As they approached Wyrmrest Temple, Kylygosa noticed something else heading in that direction.Below her, a sled big enough to hold dozens of humans traveled through the snow.The white snowfall elk was pulling it, obviously very tired.Kylygosa watched as one of the deer fell.The sled stopped.Four of the Twilight's Hammer acolytes moved forward, unbuttoning the pathetic creature and replacing it with another elk.They tugged at its reins, and shambled the exhausted creature away from its fellows.When it fell again in the snow and raised its head imploringly, an acolyte gestured.Several orcs jumped from the big black wolf they were riding.The beasts waited obediently, eyes fixed on their masters.After the orc gave the order, the giant beasts joined together and rushed at the unfortunate elk with lightning speed.As the elk struggled, the smooth white snow under its body was continuously stirred, and it was instantly dyed bright red.The elk's pitiful howls were completely drowned out by a savage roar. Kylygosa turned away.There is no doubt that such a fate is more merciful than letting the elk freeze to death here, and the wolves do need food.At least they are innocent and natural beings.Unlike their masters. Her attention returned to the sled.A huge canvas wrapped the top of the sled, revealing only a huge figure.This is the first time Kirygosa has seen it, and this figure is a bit special—— "Curious, my dear?" said Father Twilight, raising his voice so that she could hear the dragon's wings flapping under his lap. "Soon it will all be revealed. That is what we are here for. You will recall that I told you: wise men always have other plans." The tone of his voice terrified Kylygosa.The Twilight Dragon flew her steadily to Wyrmrest Temple.She looked over her shoulder, watching the sledge recede below.If it carried what the Twilight's Hammer called an "extra plan," she didn't want to know what that was. Father Twilight slid from the dragon's back to the inlaid ground of Wyrmrest Temple. There were crimson dragon blood traces all over the place, and there were a few scattered shiny fragments, which were the only remaining of the United Orb.Kylygosa remained coldly silent, following the priest. He delivered Kylygosa's chains to an acolyte.They all knew how to manipulate the female dragon: just pull in a specific way, with the right amount of strength, and she would feel severe pain.The chains also prevent her from transforming into a dragon form - which is much trickier than a human woman. "Make sure she's quiet, but don't hurt her for fun," he added, looking disappointed.If Kylygosa suffers too much, she may become desensitized to pain, and that's absolutely not okay.The troll led Kylygosa to a pillar, pushed her to the ground, and stood there waiting for his priest to give him instructions on what to do next. Father Twilight took a small orb from under his cloak, and placed it almost reverently on the bloody ground.Immediately it began to throb, glowing darkly, as if it imprisoned a churning black mist.As if the ball was too small to hold something so powerful, it burst open, and the mist—no, no, it wasn't fog, it was smoke, thick and pungent, with glowing orange-red embers in places— The surge rises.It formed an extremely unnatural cloud blacker than night.The cloud stirred angrily until it finally took shape.The orange eyes, like liquid fire, stared fiercely, piercing Father Twilight with their gaze.The jaws of the monster made of black iron opened slightly, revealing that crazy and cunning smile.Kylygosa couldn't help flinching. Deathwing! Father Twilight knelt before the orb. "My lord," he said modestly. "You've succeeded?" Deathwing said straight to the point.The deep voice seemed to shake the shrine, and it was chilling, as if Deathwing was actually there. "Well... so to speak," Father Twilight said, trying not to stutter. "We drove out the dragons from Wyrmrest Temple, including Alexstrasza and Ysera. I took it in the name of the Twilight's Hammer Cult. This is your stronghold now, my lord." He narrowed his crazy eyes. "That's not the plan," he hissed. "The plan, your failed plan is to destroy these dragons, not just occupy their temple!" "It's—yes, my master. The plan was thwarted by...something we couldn't have foreseen." He explained quickly.Deathwing listened in silence, a silence worse than his angry roar.His features were still clear, but the smoke that formed them had shifted, and there was even a flapping sound from a pair of wings outlined in riddled flames.When Father Twilight finished, there was an uncomfortably long pause.Deathwing looked up, looking thoughtful. "It doesn't change anything. You fail." In the midst of the cold, Father Twilight began to sweat. "It was a setback, my lord, no more. Not a failure. And it could have had positive consequences. The dragons have indeed been driven off, and the Life-Binder - your arch-enemy - seems to have been These incidents completely crushed it." "That doesn't matter," Deathwing said lowly. "You'll find other ways of accomplishing the goals I set for you, or I'll replace you with a general who won't let me down in a pinch." "I...understood, my lord." Father Twilight's eyes twinkled at Kylygosa; his eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then turned back to Deathwing. "Leave it to me. The plan is already in motion. I'll get started right away." "Don't try to be my way, low creature," Deathwing growled. Father Twilight felt himself grow pale under his hood. "My lord, I would never do this. I just want to be able to serve you." "You can only serve me when I tell you, not even a moment earlier. Is that clear?" Father Twilight could only nod.But though Deathwing was annoyed that his plan had been interrupted, he waited for a while, and finally spoke. "Maybe... there's a new stumbling block. I thought with you, the Twilight's Hammer, and the one we're trying to help, the dragons simply can't hold back. I'm looking forward to victory. You told me Ysera escaped .It would have been better if she hadn't escaped." "My master?" he could not help asking; he drew a deep breath. "She survived because of you," Deathwing growled. "Because she is still alive, she has the opportunity to talk to the person who is destined to rebel against me. His intervention may turn things around." Father Twilight is appalled by the news and its potential fallout.What did the awakened sleepers do?Who, or what powerful force, has she summoned?Deathwing was very worried - and it terrified Father Twilight. His throat felt dry, but he managed to ask, "What kind of creature is she allied with?" "An inferior creature," Deathwing said through gritted teeth. Father Twilight wasn't sure if he had heard it wrong. "What? But sure—" "An orc!" Both are silent now.Those four short words were all Father Twilight needed to know.Long ago, someone had warned Deathwing that an orc - seemingly the lowest of the lesser races - would rise up to challenge Deathwing, and possibly defeat him.Nobody paid much attention to that, at least not Father Twilight. He tried to look dismissive. "My lord, prophecies are notoriously secretive. You are the great Deathwing. You have torn the world apart. We challenge dragons—not just dragons, but Aspects! They are mighty Creatures, not some lowly orc! Even such a powerful person is no match for you!" "This man is different. Always has been. He has all sorts of life experiences to draw on. He doesn't think like a dragon...and because of that, he has a good chance of saving them." Father Twilight was dubious, but he didn't let this feeling show. "My lord, tell me the identity of this short-lived enemy. Tell me so that I may kill him." It's not enough to just kill him.You must destroy this orc named Thrall - or he will destroy us all.everything!" "Get this done, I swear." "Yes," Deathwing agreed. "Sure. Your time is short"—the dragon grinned grinningly, his jaw gaping open to reveal his huge gnarled metal teeth—"Father. But don't despair. I can help you. Old me, no Infinite patience. Come back to me when you have better news." The smoke that formed Deathwing's image ceased to be solid, turning back into a swirling black mist.It slowly stabilized on the ground, and then formed a black ball.After a while, the darkness also receded.Now it has become a small crystal-like ball again.Father Twilight put away the ball, frowned and got up. "You think it's very simple," came a clear female voice. "Both you and your overly complex grand scheme. And now, as your master said, you have little time left to eliminate this Thrall. The tide is shifting, Father Twilight, and your beard has long since grown." Gray. You're only deluding yourself. Your time to serve him is limited. You can't win." He turned to face the controlled female dragon, closing the distance between them.She stared up at him unyieldingly, while he stared at her for a long time. "Stupid dragon," he said at last. "You only know a small part of my plan. Sal is just a flea about to be squashed, and you can't even imagine the fit. Come here," he said, taking the chains that trapped her. "I have something to show you, and then we'll know if I'm deceiving myself...or if you're the one being deceived." He led her to the edge of the circular ground, pointing to the mysterious sleigh that had come to the bottom of Wyrmrest Temple.Now that the snowfall elk were no longer needed to pull the sleds, they loosened them and made them prey for the giant wolves.The hungry predators did their job well: there was little left but the bones.The acolytes looked up, waiting for a signal from their revered priest.With a wave of his hand, the black-robed cultists yanked back the canvas covering the sled's load. Kirygosa took a sharp breath, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hands in fright. Stretched out on the huge truck was the corpse of a dragon.But that was no ordinary dragon: its body was enormous, much larger even than an Aspect.It was misshapen, the color of scales and ugly purple gores on pale skin.And the most unsightly and terrifying thing is that it has no head. It has five.Even in dim light, her human eyes can see that each head is a different color—red, black, gold, green, and blue. Kylygosa knew exactly what it was. "A chromatic dragon." She could barely speak. The colorful dragon is an abomination, it violates all the laws of nature.These monsters are the sons of Deathwing, the creations of Nefarian.Nefarian, a mighty black dragon nearly as evil as his father, has attempted to create a new dragonflight by combining the powers of all five dragonflights - one conceivably capable of destroying all other dragonflights. .His experiment was a failure.Many whelps die before hatching.The vast majority of dragons that survive long enough to hatch are also the products of various unstable deformities.Only a very few can live to adulthood, and they are artificially aged under the influence of twisted magic. The one in front of them is naturally an adult dragon.But he didn't move. "I thought they'd barely survive to adulthood. But...he's dead too. Why should I fear a dead body?" "Oh, Chromatus is dead," said Father Twilight lightly. "Technically. For now. But he'll come to life. He's Nefarian's ultimate experiment. As I'm sure you know, he's failed many times. But that's how people learn, isn't it? By trying and failure?" His parted beard gave an elder smile, and she continued to stare at him disgustingly. "Cromatus is an example of the most cutting-edge technology Nefarian has learned in many trials," Father Twilight continued. "Tragically, before Nefarian could bestow life on Chromatus, he was slaughtered." "Killing Nefarian was a great virtue, that monster," Krygosa murmured. Father Twilight looked at her happily. "It may surprise you to know this news, as the creature before you will soon taste life, and his creator is done. That's right - Nefarian is back...in a way .He's undead, but naturally quite active. As for Chromatus... I have other plans." Kylygosa couldn't take her eyes away. "So this... thing...is the reason for everything you do?" Her voice cracked. "Give life to a monster that has no right to exist?" "Come on, now, Kylygosa!" Father Twilight rebuked mockingly. "You should show more respect. You may prove to be a very important part of the mission." Her eyes widened. "No... no more experiments..." He approached her, handing the chains to the troll acolyte who came hurrying. "You see, my dear," he said softly, "the only person who is running out of time . . . is you."